MARITZBURG United coach Fadlu Davids says the MTN8 quarterfinal against Mamelodi Sundowns could determine whether they are going to have a good season or not.
The match will be played at Lucas Moripe Stadium in Tshwane on Sunday (3pm).
Said Davids: “We’ve had six weeks of pre-season and we also had couple of friendly matches. All of that will be tested on Sunday.
“This match will give us an indication on what kind of a season we’re going to have. We’re facing a team that haven’t really stopped playing.
“They had Caf matches and they have a rhythm and for them this match will be a continuation. Us on the other hand, we’ll need to adjust as quickly as possible.”
Last time the two teams met was in May at the same venue. That match ended in a 2-2 draw. The Team of Choice were all over Sundowns and took a 2-0 lead but they let it slip at the end.
Davids, who was on the bench that night as a caretaker coach, said people should forget about that game and promised fireworks on Sunday in his first official match as full-time coach.
He said: “It’s a new game and neither team will be dwelling on what happened last season. You can’t take that 2-2 draw as an indication of this coming match. Both teams would want to start a season on a positive note.
“This match will definitely give both teams a chance to see how far have they come with their preparations.
“We will go all out and make sure that we win this one.”
Davids is expected to give his seven new signings a run in this match.
He confirmed that the likes of Siyanda Xulu would be given game time despite only starting his training on Saturday.
